Unlucky For Some
The day was Friday the 13th, a day typically associated with bad luck and misfortune. My mother was an avid believer in those silly superstitions but I always thought she was being paranoid. So whenever the date came around I would continue to follow my routines in the usual ways with nothing out of the ordinary or unfortunate ever happening. But one day, on my way into work, something unusual did happen.
Autumn had just begun and the ground was littered with crisp dry leaves, the temptation to kick up a random pile or stand on one to hear its crunch was difficult for my inner child to resist. But somehow I managed it and carried on strolling along the pavement, lost in my own thoughts with my headphones on listening to the soundtrack of my journey.
After a while I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. The bushes to my right started rustling and before I could react a black cat emerged from it, crossing my path. I stopped in my tracks and watched it scamper across the road then disappear into another set of bushes on the opposite side. Despite my aversion to old wive’s tales I couldn’t help but feel a little unsettled by this. A black cat crossing my path on Friday the 13th? That couldn’t be good.
Luckily the rest of my day passed by without a hitch, that cat had been nothing more than a coincidence. Or at least that’s what I told myself.
On my way back home I felt oddly anxious as I approached that same patch of bushes. I gasped when I noticed them shaking again and another black cat stepped out, more leisurely now. It couldn’t be the same one surely? This time the cat sat directly in front of me, blocking my path and looking up at me with its golden eyes.
“Um…can you move please?” I said but I don’t know why I asked, it wasn’t like I was going to get a response.
The cat just continued to stare up at me, tilting its head in curiosity like it was assessing me. I decided to just go around the stubborn creature and carry on my way, but after a few moments I heard the gentle scratch of claws on the concrete. I looked over my shoulder and saw the cat was following me.
“What the-?”
“Mew!”
I turned to face the creature, “shoo!”
“Meow?”
I huffed and sped up a little, hoping the cat would get bored and wander off in a different direction, but it didn’t give up and kept on following.
When I finally reached my front door I looked over my shoulder expecting to see my little shadow again but it was nowhere to be seen. I breathed a sigh of relief, “thank god”.
“Mew!”
I stumbled backwards on my doorstep with fright when the cat suddenly reappeared at my feet.
“How the hell did you get there?!”
“Meeeooow!”
I sighed, this creature was more trouble than its worth but I took pity on it.
“Well I suppose I could give you some milk or something. You do look a bit skinny”.
“Mew!”
The cat pawed at my shin in gratitude and I giggled, I’d never come across such a friendly stray before and it was quite endearing. I unlocked the door and as soon as it was ajar the cat scurried inside, making a beeline for the kitchen as if it already knew the layout.
“Oh make yourself at home why don’t you” I said sarcastically.
After hanging up my coat and bag I went to the kitchen and poured some milk into a small bowl while the cat waited patiently. I set it down on the floor and the cat mewed in thanks again. I couldn’t deny it was kind of adorable seeing its little tongue flick in and out as it drank, the little thing seemed very thirsty.
“I suppose you are quite cute. But you’re not staying” I reaffirmed.
The cat looked up at me like it was personally offended, “meow?”
“You heard me”.
The cat let out a low grumbling purr, obviously displeased but I was determined.
Once the cat had drunk up the milk I decided to feed it some chicken I had leftover from dinner yesterday.
“Nam nam nam”.
I chuckled at the satisfied sound it made as it munched away. As soon as it finished I held open the front door, “right you’ve had your fill. Now off you go”.
But the cat just sat in the hallway refusing to leave.
“Don’t you have streets to roam or birds to catch or something?”
Instead of answering me with another meow, the cat brazenly strolled into the living room.
“Hey!”
By the time I got there the cat had curled up into a snoozing ball of dark fluff on the sofa. As much as this creature was irritating me I didn’t have the heart to move it.
I sighed in defeat “well I guess I’ve got a pet cat now”.
I was woken up the following morning by something lightly tapping my nose. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and although my vision was still bleary I saw a familiar black shape sitting on my chest.
“Meow”.
“Good morning to you too” I said lazily.
“At last! I thought you’d never wake up!” a shrill voice spoke.
I bolted upright and the cat tumbled down onto my lap with a yelp. I hadn’t seen them at first but four figures were crowded around my bed, women of different ages wearing dark cloaks with hoods except for one who wore a pointed wide-brimmed hat.
“Who the hell are you?! What are you doing in my house?!”
“Relax. We’re not going to harm you” the one closest to me said in a soothing voice, “I’m Ella and these are my sisters Penelope, Lily and Freda”.
Ella was clearly the youngest of the group with fresh looking pale skin and smooth auburn hair that cascaded far past her shoulders, Penelope was a little more mature with curly blonde hair and a few more laughter lines on her face, Lily was a stern looking older woman with a jet black bob-cut and glasses perched on the end of her nose, Freda had wispy grey hair sticking out from under her pointed hat and a slightly crazed smile.
“Why are you here? What do you want?” I asked again.
“It’s not what we want, it’s what Neo wants” Penelope said and gestured to the cat by my side.
“Neo?” I echoed.
“Meow!” Neo mewed and nodded his head in greeting.
“Yes, it seems our cat has chosen you. So now you’re one of us!” Penelope said with glee.
“And what are you?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
Freda let out a loud cackle, “we’re witches you silly thing! Isn’t it obvious?!”
She flicked the brim of her witch’s hat.
“Witches?! You can’t be serious?!”
“We are, we’re a coven from a place far away from here” Ella explained calmly, “Neo has a habit of…straying. He often wanders into this realm to snoop on mortals”.
“And his curiosity hasn’t killed him…yet! Hahaha!” Freda laughed loudly.
Part of me thought I was still dreaming, that I would wake up and this would be some silly figment of my imagination. I pinched myself a few times but it turns out I was wrong, these so-called witches and their pesky pet were very real.
“You still haven’t answered my question, what do you want?” I asked again.
Lily pushed her spectacles up her nose and mumbled, “bloody mortals”.
“Relax. We only ask one thing of you, to provide a safe place for Neo whenever he travels this way” Ella said simply.
“And if I refuse?”
“We’ll turn you into a goldfish so he can gobble you up! Hahaha!” Freda cackled but the others just glared at her and Lily rolled her eyes, “what? Just trying to lighten the mood!”
“Anyway…” Ella continued, “it’s clear he’s taken a liking to you and you’ve already proved you have a kind heart by letting him stay the night”.
“I didn’t have much of a choice” I grumbled.
“You’re not wrong” Penelope agreed, “but you didn’t kick him out either and that says a lot”.
I looked down at Neo and he gently put his paw on my hand, a simple yet adorable plea.
“See? He’s really no bother, just feed him and let him come and go as he pleases. In return he’ll be your faithful companion” Ella said.
I looked into the cat’s golden eyes once again and made my decision, “alright alright, he can stay”.
“Thank the gods” Lily praised.
“Excellent. You won’t regret this” Ella promised.
“So what do I need to know about Neo? Anything specific?”
“He’s just like any other cat but he’s very intelligent” Penelope told you.
“Just don’t feed him cheese, gives him the shits” Freda said bluntly and you couldn’t help but laugh as you stroked your new furry friend.
“We’ll call in on you occasionally too, just to see that you’re upholding your end of the bargain” Lily said, a slight threat in her tone that made you gulp.
“WAIT! EVERYBODY SHUSH!” Freda yelled, startling all of us.
She closed her eyes and seemed to be concentrating on something unseen, pressing her fingers to her temples.
“Hmm…oh my….really?...oh that’s wonderful!” she chatted to herself.
“What is it now you silly old bat?” Lily said, clearly Freda tested her patience a lot.
“Shush you shrew! Neo just told me he’s been here before. He used to live here with a mortal family a hundred years ago”.
“Ah that explains why he was drawn to this place” Ella realised.
“Wait, how old is this cat exactly?!” I said.
“Oh about two-hundred and forty two give or take” Freda said casually.
“Bloody hell”.
Ella sniggered, mortal ignorance amused her.
From that day onwards Neo became my constant, coming and going from my house as he pleased. When he was here I made sure to feed him and spoil him with head scratches and belly rubs. He would curl up and sleep at the end of my bed then by morning he was gone, but when he stayed he would wake me up by booping my nose. I found it irritating at first but eventually I grew used to it and found it endearing.
The witches also kept their promise and called in occasionally. Ella, Penelope and Lily would appear on my doorstep, knocking on my door and asking permission to enter. But Freda would scare the living daylights out of me, appearing randomly with a loud “GOTCHA!” causing her to cackle loudly when I would drop whatever I was holding or curse with fright.
It was a new routine that I quickly grew accustomed to, it was strange at first and I couldn’t begin to explain it to anyone else. I felt like I owed my mother an apology for not believing in superstitions. Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some but for me I considered it very lucky because I gained a faithful lifelong companion.
